The police have arrested three male juveniles, aged between 15 and 17 years, for allegedly gang-defiling a 15-year-old girl at Aboabo in the Akuapim North Municipality of the Eastern Region.
Following the incident on January 27, 2024, the Police arrested the suspects, who have since made two appearances before the Mampong Magistrate Court to face prosecution for their alleged actions.
The case has sent shockwaves through the community and raised concerns about the safety and well-being of children in the community.
In Ghana, the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (29),
prohibits any “natural or unnatural knowledge of a child less than sixteen years of age,” consequently, any person, regardless of their gender, who engages in sexual intercourse with a child, with or without their consent, is found liable to the crime.
The heart-wrenching case has sparked a conversation about the importance of educating young people about such offences and the consequences of their actions.
As the trial proceeds, the community grapples with the complexities of this tragic event and its implications for the future.
Investigations reveal that one of the suspects is the survivor’s classmate, with the others being school dropouts.
The survivor, who lived with her 63-year-old grandfather, had gone to her friend’s (one of the suspects’) house together with her younger sister in the evening to borrow his book.
After waiting for her friend (the suspect) to return
home from purchasing food from the neighbourhood, she became tired and decided to take a walk around.
Unfortunately, she run into the suspects on the way.
The two other suspects attempted to talk to the survivor, but she refused to engage them as they were making their way back to the house with the two friends.
But they had planned to assault her, so they lifted her and carried her to a nearby bush, where two of the boys defiled her one after the other, while one fingered her.
The victim fought back desperately, trying to make noise to draw attention and signal for help, but the perpetrators had firmly blocked her mouth.
However, in the struggling process, the survivor managed to yell a call for assistance and was rescued by a nearby couple, who promptly brought her to the families of the boys
and eventually to the police station, where a report was lodged for the suspects’ arrest.
According to reports, the survivor’s parents have unique health issues – while her mother is dealing with mental illness, her father, who resides, is paralysed due to a stroke.
Owing to the vulnerability of the victim and her sibling in society due to their living conditions, there is a plea by community members to ensure justice prevails.
